Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Mishawaka/South Bend Indiana Area

Circumstances beyond my control (no details) are forcing me to relocate to this area for a little while. I still feel that I’m a country boy forced into the city as I was in the service, and I considere the Bedford/Fulton Area of Pennsyltucky to be home, and I’m hoping to return there sooner rather than later.
But while I’m out here, I’m gonna try to make the best of it.
Right now I’m looking to find work in this area, but my hobbies of reading and shooting/reloading are coming with me!
I’m hoping to hear from members in this area on subjects like where to look for work, where to look for guns & reloading supplies, and a good old school Christian church to try on as well.
If you’re nearby and wanna share any pertinent information of such, please reply or shoot me a PM.
I feel sorta like a fish outta water right now...
7mm

Try to keep an open mind about a physical relocation. Look at it as an adventure. I am not familiar with South Bend, but can tell you there are a lot of nice places in this country.

So, get to know the area, it's people and my bet is you will make some lifelong friends if you give it a chance. With a little luck, opportunities you never anticipated will present themselves. If you are willing to recognize them.

7mmbuster: Are you there now? How long will you be staying? I don't live there but I've been going up there several times a year for about five years. In fact I just got back home a couple weeks ago. Feel free to ask questions. I might not be able to add a lot of value but I'll tell you what I know. -tnscouter

Lived in Mishawaka & worked in Wakarusa for 18 months back in '99-2000. There are plenty of places south of S.Bend & Mishawaka which are rural if you want that lifestyle. Terrific folks, great Amish restaurants just outsida town, and excellent work ethic. Miss that place, but visit infrequently (basically for clays with an old buddy). I think they're still dry on Sundays, so stock up or drive north into Michigan. I believe there's 7 counties which are holdouts against messing with clocks.

Three Oaks in Michigan is a nearby sporting clays course (also a phez put-n-take), and they do it awesome, with portions of the course on edge of a ravine providing very unique presentations. Back Forty is another nice clays course in da woods in Indiana. If you haven't tried it, wobble trap is a hoot, and both have it (I prefer Back Forty cuz it's in da woods and much more challenging hits with various distractions).

I have a friend who lives there. Works for Lippert Components. They make RV/Camper stuff. He could not be more positive about working for them and they seem to be quite the company.

Don't know your skills, what you're looking for etc. but were I to move there - they'd be my first call based on his recommendation and the little I've interacted with senior (Lippert family) on LinkedIn.

Indiana is no longer dry on Sundays. 12 of Indiana's 92 counties are on central time and the rest on eastern. The central time zone counties are in the extreme NW and SW parts of the state. Not a huge deal, but if you live in one and work in another (or vice versa) it can take some getting used to.

I've never been to that part of the state, but it does have one thing the rest doesn't. Steelhead fishing in the creeks/rivers feeding into Lake Michigan. Something I keep meaning to try. Coming from Pa, that part of the state is likely darn flat and much more farmed than what you're used to. I can't remember the name, but a poster here from MI used to post about a long range rifle range he used on the IN side. Might be worth looking into.

It looks like you can make it to the spring michigan get together.

Hi 7mm!
You'll find anything you want in this area. Help wanted signs everywhere you look. The largest RV industry in the country always looking for help. Fishing is world class with Lake Michigan and more inland lakes and rivers that you can fish. Trap and skeet clubs, golf nearby, Notre Dame, shopping, and entertainment abound. While I'm not a big fan of South Bend the surrounding areas (Mishawaka, Granger and suburbs are nice.
I've been a charter boat captain on Lake Michigan for over 37 years (retired in 2022) and live in the Granger area since the 1960's. If I can answer any specifics for you, give me a shout.
Butch

Plus on what others said.

You'll be within easy driving distance of Camp Perry & Camp Atterbury too.

The dunes are decent for family vacations too.

I grew up in the area; glad I got out. It was a fantastic place to grow up but Amish have spread like a plague and have ruined everything.

How so?

They breed like rabbits and don’t go anywhere; they’ve driven land prices in Elkhart and Lagrange counties to absolutely insane levels. They all work in the RV factories, because the money is so good, but they have to stay close because they either have to bum a ride or bike to work.

Meanwhile, because they still think a man’s worth is measured by how many times he procreates, they’re too stupid to realize that they have painted themselves into a corner: you can work a lifetime in the factory and not pay off your few acres and house and barn. Good luck to your 10 kids.

A friend works for Chupp Brothers, a big Amish auction outfit. He told me recently a ranch style house with a few out buildings on 6 acres went for $930,000(?!) to an Amish guy in his mid 30’s. This isn’t sustainable. The RV industry is already in the middle of its umpteenth downturn, so the chickens may be coming home to roost soon.

I won’t even get into how they’ve destroyed hunting and fishing in the area. When I moved to North Dakota I told a friend out here, who is ex-Amish btw, that I’m shooting the first Dutchman I see cross the state line and leaving him there as a warning to the rest. He wholeheartedly agreed.